Abstract
We reexamine claims that anthropic arguments provide an explanation for the observed smallness of the cosmological constant, and we argue that correlations between the cosmological constant value and the existence of life could at best be demonstrated only under restrictive assumptions. Causal effects are more subtle to uncover. The assumption of our typicality is crucial to such arguments.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 041301 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 100 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 28 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
Cite this
Anthropic arguments and the cosmological constant, with and without the assumption of typicality. / Maor, Irit; Krauss, Lawrence; Starkman, Glenn.
In: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, No. 4, 041301, 28.01.2008.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Anthropic arguments and the cosmological constant, with and without the assumption of typicality
AU - Maor, Irit
AU - Krauss, Lawrence
AU - Starkman, Glenn
PY - 2008/1/28
Y1 - 2008/1/28
N2 - We reexamine claims that anthropic arguments provide an explanation for the observed smallness of the cosmological constant, and we argue that correlations between the cosmological constant value and the existence of life could at best be demonstrated only under restrictive assumptions. Causal effects are more subtle to uncover. The assumption of our typicality is crucial to such arguments.
AB - We reexamine claims that anthropic arguments provide an explanation for the observed smallness of the cosmological constant, and we argue that correlations between the cosmological constant value and the existence of life could at best be demonstrated only under restrictive assumptions. Causal effects are more subtle to uncover. The assumption of our typicality is crucial to such arguments.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38749127572&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=38749127572&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.041301
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.041301
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:38749127572
VL - 100
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
SN - 0031-9007
IS - 4
M1 - 041301
ER -